1. Recognize any personal or organizational Pharisaical tendency to view people through the law rather than through grace. The Pharisees' values were rooted in their traditions, laws, and culture. They found a great sense of their identity in their clique. They resented anyone who failed to live up to THEIR standards. Even when the Jesus Christ came they failed to recognize Him as the Son of God because they were blinded by their prejudices.
2. Be careful of becoming so microscopic in your perspectives that you fail to get God's frame of reference on people processes and results. The Pharisees were so consumed by the details of the laws of the Talmud and the Torah that they neglected to love the Lord with all their heart and their
neighbors as themselves.
3. Beware of any Pharisaical manipulative uses of money for selfish interests. The love of money is the root of all sorts of evil. The Pharisees were obsessed with the love of power. They authorized the extortive practices of money changing in the temple court because they had control over the religious sacrifices. They used their positions to extort money from people who were required by religious law to offer only the best sacrifices in an acceptable way. They took advantage of people at a time of vulnerability.
4. Beware of the Pharisees' blind spots. Jesus recognized that their forefathers had rejected the Godly prophets are choosing rather to follow the popular opinion leaders of their day. The Pharisees were not open to change their values. views or their behavior.
5. Beware of trying to please God through actions rather than through your heart. Thc Pharisees loved to pray where the public could admire them. However, Jesus said, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts. For that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God."
6. Beware of the Pharisaical tendency to try to remove the speck from your brother's eve before first removing the log from your own eye. (Matthew 7:1,2) Choose to look at the positive part of a person rather than the negative aspect.
7. Beware of basing your evaluations on isolated incidents rather than on a person's values. The Pharisees were quick to condemn others for violating even the slightest violation of the Law of Moses, but Jesus used a system of a hierarchy of values. Jesus said, "Which is better to show love or td allow people to suffer."
8. Beware of taking your relationship with God for granted. The Pharisees assumed that their religiosity would give them spiritual, social, emotional, economic and cultural security. Christ taught His disciples how to overcome the coldness of familiarity in relationships through a daily renewing of His love for God through daily times of worship, confession, thanksgiving and supplications. (Mark 1:35)
9. Beware of trying to use your religious authority for political purposes. The Pharisees elevated themselves to the highest seat in the temple through insider political nepotism, cronyism, or tribalism. They practice the principle that one back scratches another more than relying on the truth, "Promotion comes neither from the east, nor the west nor the south, but God puts up one and sets down another." (Psalm 75)
10. Beware of using rules. regulations and policies to instill the fear of men in others for manipulative reasons. The religious leaders of Christ's day used threats and intimidation to control others. Christ said, "My sheep hear my voice and they follow me. I do not call you slaves, but friends."
11 . Beware of trying to be something that you are not. The Pharisees pretended to be holy when they were full of greed. selfishness, and resentment. Jesus told them, "You wash the outside of the cup but leave the inside of the cup dirty. Cleanse your hearts you double-minded men."
12. Beware of relying on men in positions of power. Eventually, every human will disappoint others. It was said of Jesus. "He trusted no man because he knew what was in man."
13. Beware of being more procedural oriented than focused on obeying God. The Pharisees were so hung up on their religious rites, programs and activities that they forgot to practice them with the right motives.
14. Beware of becoming more maintenance minded than harvested oriented in your ministries. The Pharisees were much more consumed by their desires to maintain their positions, peace, and political standing that seeing the kingdom of God grow in quality and quantity. Jesus even said, "Behold the kingdom of God is here with you." Yet, the Pharisees failed to recognize what was right in front of their faces.
15. Beware of the Pharisaical fault finding tendency to criticize anyone who is not like them. Jesus said, "He who is not against you is for you." Jesus blessed diversity as he recognized that God had made 18,000 people groups in the world each with their own cultural set of norms and values.
16. Beware of the Pharisaical tendency to adapt their rules to suit the whims of the big people. When it was necessary to eliminate Jesus they twisted their rules auld even the civil rules to see that Pontius Pilate had Jesus crucified by betraying Christ through bribing Judas Iscariot to sell away the Lord to the officials.
